Inspired by the surreal works of Dali, Otto Dix and James Ensor, Victoria British Columbia artist Carollyne Yardley<\/strong> has added another genre to the mix \u2013 Squirrealism<\/strong>. Bizarre. Whimsical. Confusing. Take your pick. They all describe Yardley\u2019s fascination with the familiar rodent as an artistic motif.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Celebrity of Being Annonymouse <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI am a storyteller at heart,\u201d she says \u201cand my work is based on imagery, characters, misfits and alienation. I am exploring development through humour, portraiture, pop culture and absurdity.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>Celebrity of Being Annonymouse Closeup<\/strong><\/p>\n

No dispute there. Yardley is a former software developer and a successful entrepreneur with a fine arts training. In 2008, she gave up her former career refine and perfect her unique take on surrealism. A selection of her new works is presently on display at the Fazakas Gallery in midtown Vancouver as part of a larger show called SHE<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0SHE<\/em> examines gender politics in modern society. How do women artists perceive the impact of gender on their work and career? Do they even want their gender to be a discussion point? The show involves three contemporary artists, of which Yardley is one. La Tiesha Fazakas, the owner and curator of the gallery says all three women have taken a different approach to the topic confirming that Yardley\u2019s works \u201care very assertive, talking about the female experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>Guerilla Square<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>Guerilla Square Clsoeup<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assertive yet playful. Humour can convey a strong message. Yardley refers to iconographic Madonna and the Birth of Ideas,<\/em> in which a ceramic squirrel sits on the Madonna\u2019s lap, as a direct reference to how Squirrealism was born. \u201cIdeas are the food of life for me,\u201d she says. \u201cMany mothers would exclaim that their children provide them with the same nourishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Madonna and the Birth of Ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fazakas adds that \u201cmost of the people I know remember those ceramic squirrels from when they were kids. So here you are, the Madonna is holding onto your nostalgia, she\u2019s holding onto your childhood. It\u2019s gone from being a fetish object to being a meaningful object.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/a>Madonna and the Birth of Ideas Closeup<\/strong><\/p>\n

A childhood memory or the baby Jesus?\u00a0 It\u2019s up to you. Yardley says the squirrel can mean anything you want it to be. Squirrealism, as an element of the large show SHE<\/em>, is on display until June 20^{th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n}

<\/a>Male Figure Drawing<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>Male Figure Drawing\u00a0Closeup<\/strong><\/p>\n

+\u00a0Carollyne Yardley<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

+\u00a0Fazakas Gallery<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Inspired by the surreal works of Dali, Otto Dix and James Ensor, Victoria British Columbia artist Carollyne Yardley has added another genre to the mix \u2013 Squirrealism. Bizarre. Whimsical. Confusing. Take your pick. They all describe Yardley\u2019s fascination with the familiar rodent as an artistic motif. Celebrity of Being Annonymouse \u201cI am a storyteller at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":44846,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[7535,6655,7534,2219],"yoast_head":"\n